Quick opening envelope



June 18, 1940. GA. H. NUYTS 2,204,690

QUICK OPENING ENVELOPE 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lzZ/f l /AL June 18, 1940.

G. A. H. NUYTS 2,204,690

QUICK OPENING ENVELOPE Filed Dec. 20, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lopes walls,thusto facilitate its division Patented June 18, 1940 UNITED STATESQUICK OPENING ENVELOPE Georges Alfred Hippolyte Nuyts, Nanterre,

France, assignor to United States Envelope Company, Maine ApplicationDecember 20, 1937,

November 26, 1937 In France Worcester, Mass.,

a corporation of Serial No. 180,877

9 Claims. (oi. 229-435) The present invention relates to an envelope,for letters and the like, which is utilizable in a particularlyadvantageous manner for postal purposes, and is characterized by thefact that the opening of same for access to its contents is readilyeifected by a simple pull, which divides the envelope into two parts bybreaking the same at a predetermined place, and also by the fact thatsuch breaking does not tear or damage the letter or other contents whichis enclosed within the envelope.

My invention contemplates anenvelope having a zone which isintentionally of lower tensile strength than the remainder of theenveinto two parts, and within said envelope a sheet which is ofsuchform or is arranged in such a manner that it is not subjected to thepull, in opposite directions, by which the envelope itself isfracturedat said zone in the act of opening same.

For this purpose, the letter, sheet, or other article which constitutesthe envelopes enclosure is so arranged as to incompletely fill theenvelope, and the part of the envelope thus left empty is utilized forbeing gripped by one of the hands of the person desiring to open theenvelope.

According to one embodiment, the enclosure, after folding or not asrequired, may be of smaller size than the envelope in the directionalong which the opening pull has to be exerted andis held away from oneof the ends where the envelope is pinched for exertion of the openingpull. This positioning of the enclosure can be effected by means of atab projecting from the envelope at the orifice of same and which isfolded inwardly after the enclosure has been inserted.

Preferably, said tab is of suchlength that, if it is not folded inside,ithinders the folding of the flap of the envelope forclosing same. Theuser is thus obliged to make the necessary gesture of placing theenclosure in the correct position be fore closing the envelope. Saidpositioning can also be effected by sticking cupied by the enclosure,when the envelope is being closed.

In another embodiment, the enclosure may be ofsubstantially the samesize as the envelope in which it is inserted, but has one or morerecessed portions which correspond to one of the spots provided forpinching the envelope inthe act of opening same.

Preferably, the enclosure is so arranged that it is pinched with theenvelope at only-one of the the two faces of the envelope against eachother at the place not octwo pin 31ing spots indicated on the envelopesexterior for the application of the opening pull.

Under these conditions, when the envelope is fractured by said pull, theenclosure participates in the movement of one of the parts of theenvelope, so that with a single movement the envelope is opened and theenclosure extracted therefrom.

This leaves one of the envelope parts to be used,

' if desired, as a sheath in which the enclosure can be stored. It isalways an easy matter to extract v said enclosure from the sheath, owingto the fact that the enclosure extend of the sheath.

In the simplest manner, the zone of lower tensile strength of theenvelope is obtained by perforation. The perforations preferably providea definite discontinuity of the envelope material at the spot where theyare intersected by the line of application of the pull, so that thefracture is certain to take place.

A number of embodiments of an envelope according to the invention willbe described here inafter by way of example, with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the blank for an envelope embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is arear view of said envelope, as constructed from the blank ofFig. 1;

beyond the open end Fig. 3 is a sectional view, the section being takenalong the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. i is a plan view of an enclosurewhich has been cut or folded to asize and shape suitable for use with the envelope of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of said envelope in which said enclosure has beeninserted, before closing; Fig. 6 is a sectional view, the section beingtaken along the line 66 of Fig. 5; i Fig. '7 is a rear View of theclosed envelope; Fig. 8 is a sectional view, the section being takenalong the line 8-6 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a front View of the closed envelope; Fig. 10 is an edgewise orsectional view of the closed envelope, showing the manner in which thesame is gripped by the recipient thereof, for i exertion of thefracturing pull;

Fig. 11 is a front view of the envelope, in process of being opened andhaving its enclosure extracted;

Figs. 12 and 13 are plan views of difierent forms of enclosures whichare usable with an envelope embodying the invention;

Fig. 14 is a rear view of an envelope of my invention wherein has beeninserted an enclosure of the form depicted by Fig. 12 or by Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a plan view of another modification of the enclosure;

Fig. 16 is a rear view of an envelope of my invention wherein has beeninserted an enclosure such as depicted in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is a view similar to Fig. 14, illustrating a slight modificationof the envelope structure.

In the embodiment of my invention shown by Figs. 1 to 11 the envelope ismade from a blank ,(Fig. 1) having a front face I, a back 2, and a flap3. To form the envelope, the blank is folded along the line 4, and afterfolding along the lines 5 and 6, the adhesive strips 1 and 8 projectingfrom the face I are stuck against the back 2. The latter has a tab 9,the length of which is such that it extends beyond the line I alongwhich the flap 3 has to be folded for closing the envelope. Said flaphas a gummed portion II in the shape of a peripheral band, extendingover almost the entire surface of the flap.

On the front face I and the back 2,,pefore or after the formation of theenvelope, are made two substantially identical lines of perforations I2and I3. Said lines of perforations are in all cases substantially inregister when the envelope is formed. In the embodiment described, theyeach have an oblique portion I4 and I5 projecting respectively from thecorners I6 and I1 of the envelope, and a portion I8 parallel with theend I9 of said'envelope. The central zone of the portion I8 preferablyprovides a distinct discontinuity of the envelope material, as byforming in the latter a definite cut or slit of appreciable length, orby providing at this point a perforation, circular or otherwise, ofrelatively large size.

An enclosure 20 for use in the envelope just described, is shown in Fig.4. Said enclosure is such, or is folded in such a manner that afterbeing inserted in the envelope, it does not extend beyond the foldingline 2| of the tab 9. After insertion of the enclosure, the tab" isturned over inwardly by folding about the line 2I.

The envelope can then be closed by folding the flap 3 along the line If!and by sticking the gummed portion II on the back 2.

The address on the envelope is preferably written on the face I. Saidface also carries indications which draw attention to the middleportions of the ends I9 and I9 of the closed envelope. Such indicationsmay consist for example of printed spots or zones 22 and 23, witharrows24 and 25 directed towards the ends of the envelope, along the' axis ofthe same perpendicular to the cuts I8. 2

When it is desired to open the envelope, it is gripped by the thumb andthe forefinger of each hand on the printed spots or zones 22 and 23.

Referring to Fig. 10, it will be seen that between the thumb and theforefinger of the left hand are pinched the face and the back of theenvelope as well as the enclosure 20. Between the thumb and theforefinger of the right hand, are pinched only the end extremities ofthe face I and the closure flap 3, in the absence of the enclosure 20which cannot reach the gripping point owing to its being held by the tab9. If a sharp pull is then given, the envelope will tear on its face andits back along the perforations I2 and I3. There remain in the left handthe two small trapezoidal-shaped portions 25 and 21 of the face I andthe back 2, between which is held the enclosure 20. In the right handthere is then held the major portion'of the envelope. By continuing themovement, the enclosure 20 is extracted from the envelope. It cantherefore be seen that by means of a simple pull, the opening of theenvelope and the extraction of the enclosure are obtained at the sametime.

The cleanly-opened major portion of the envelope can serve, if desired,as a convenient sheath for the enclosure 20 which is always readilywithdrawable therefrom, because it projects from the opening of saidsheath owing to the latters concave line of fracture.

Sheets or enclosures such as 28, shown in Fig. 12, or 29, shown in Fig.13 which have a length substantially equal to that of the closedenvelope, can be used, after folding along the line 30 for the sheet 28and the lines 3I and 32 for the sheet 29, with an envelope of the typeof the one just described but in which the tab 9 is eliminated. Thesheet 28 has semi-circular recesses 33 and 34, which are superposedafter the sheet has been folded along the line 30.

The sheet 29 has similar recesses 35, 3B and 31, which are likewisesuperposed after the said sheet has been folded along the lines 3! and32.

The sheet 28 or the sheet 29 is introduced into the envelope by firstinserting the non-recessed side. The flap 3 is then folded in the usualmanner and stuck. When the envelope (Fig. 14) is gripped at theindicated zones 22, 23 of its two ends, forv opening same, the-pinchingof the flap 3 and adjacent envelope material, with the fingers of one ofthe hands, does not affect the sheet inside owing to the recess in thelatter. A pull therefore causes the opening asdescribed above as well asthe extraction of the sheet.

In Fig. 14, an envelope of this type has been shown, but in which theperforations forming the zones of lesser resistance are'not placed atone end of the envelope, but at the centre of same, such as shown at 38.

In Fig. 1'7, an envelope has been shown which is also of this type, butin which the perforations include portions 39 and 40 parallel with theend I9, and two oblique portions II and 42 connected together by acentral cut 43. This shape of perforation reserves a space for thepostage stamp.

The sheet or enclosure 44 shown in Fig. 15

has on. one of its sides a recess 45 and is intended to be folded alongthe line 46 which ends at the centre of said recess. 7

The envelope 41 which co-operates with this sheet is shown inFig. 16.When the sheet 44 is inserted in said envelope, the corner 48 of thelatter is left empty. It is this corner which is printed or otherwisemarked as one of the gripping places of the envelope, for opening same.The other gripping place 49 is located towards the corner 50 which is atthe other end of the longest side 5I of the envelope. The perforations52 forming the zone of lesser strength have a cut 53 placed at theintersection of the line along which the pull is exerted.

It is obvious that the folding which forms the envelope from a paperblank can be different from the one described. Furthermore, the divisionof the envelope into two parts for opening, need not be effectedparallel or substantially parallel with the small side of the envelope,but can be effected parallel or substantially parallel with the largeside, or even diagonally.

In another modification, after folding if necessary, the sheet is thesame size asthe envelope and has a perforated line parallel with one ofits sides. It is insertedinto the envelopeby its sidewhich is notadjacent the perforatedline.

. 2,204,690 When the pull is exerted, the envelope opens by breaking ashas been described, and simultaneously the sheet is divided into twoparts, one of which is formed by the narrow strip limited by theperforation and which does not bear any writing or inscription andremains inside the envelope.

I claim:

1. A letter envelope comprising, a front wall and a rear wall connectedtogether except at an introduction opening, a flap prolonging the frontwall beyond said opening, a zone of less resistance with respect to apull exerted transverse to the line of attachment of the flap, and meansfor preventing a sheet inside of the filling it completely in atransverse direction to the line of attachment.

2. An envelope in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means comprises atab prolonging the rear wall which when folded into the interior of theenvelope restrains the sheet from coming out of the zone adjacent theline of attachment of the flap.

3. An envelope in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means comprises atab prolonging the rear Wall and of such a length that it passes theline of attachment of thefiap and when folded toward the interiorrestrains the sheet inside of the envelope from coming out of the zoneadjacent the line of attachment.

4. An envelope in accordance with claim 1 in which the zone of lessresistance provides a disenvelope from i continuance of the envelopematerial at its intersection with the line of application of the pullingeffort.

5. An envelope in accordance with claim 1 in which the zone of lessresistance is trapezoidal shaped.

6. An envelope in accordance with claim 1 in which the zone of lessresistance is constituted by two series of perforations directedobliquely with respect to the line of application of the pulling eifortand connected together by a complete interruption perpendicular to saidline.

7. A letter composed of an envelope comprising, a front wall and a rearwall connected together except at an introduction opening, a flapprolonging the front wall, a zone of less resistance with respect to apull exerted transverse to the line of attachment of said flap and asheet inside of the envelope, and means provided to prevent the sheetfrom filling the envelope completely in the direction transverse to thesaid line of attachment.

8. An envelope in accordance with claim 1, in which the means comprisesadhesion of the front and of less resistance and one end of theenvelope.

9. An envelope in accordance with claim 7, in which the means comprisesadhesion of the front and rear walls of the envelope at the end of sameremote from said flap.

GEORGES ALFRED HIPPOLYTE NUYTS.

rear walls of the envelope between said zone

